Latest On Texans’ GM Search, Nick Caserio The Favorite?
The Texans’ GM search is starting to heat up. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle brings us a lengthy list of possible candidates that includes Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Patriots director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort, former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, and former Chiefs GM Scott Pioli.
That’s in addition to former Browns GM Ray Farmer, who will apparently be the first to interview with the team. But just because Farmer is up first doesn’t mean he’s the top option. Caserio is “believed to be the leading candidate” for the job, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (Twitter link).
As soon as the Texans fired Brian Gaine, we heard rumblings that they would again pursue Caserio in their search. When the Texans were looking to fill their GM vacancy last offseason they requested to interview both Caserio and Ossenfort, but were denied by the Patriots. It’s unclear what would’ve changed, but people seem to think they’d have a good shot at them this time around.
Further, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com examines what the situation will look like after a GM is hired. As he points out, this will go one of two ways. Either the Texans will hire another Bill O’Brien guy like they did last time, or they’ll hire an outside candidate with no connection to O’Brien, which means they could be looking for a new head coach after the season as well.
We heard on Friday that Texans exec Jack Easterby, who was recently appointed to a prominent position, will be playing a large role in the search. It was reported that Easterby is close friends with Caserio, so this latest development makes a lot of sense. The other names we’ve already seen mentioned, but this is the first we’ve heard of McKenzie as a potential candidate. After losing a power struggle with Jon Gruden in Oakland, McKenzie recently signed on with the Dolphins’ front office.
It’ll be interesting to see whether they let O’Brien run the hiring process, and that will go a long way toward showing us whether O’Brien is on the hot seat entering 2019. Caserio is apparently close with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and his presence is what has convinced McDaniels to stay in New England in the past, so many have speculated they’ll be paired together as an eventual coach/GM combo if Caserio ever leaves the Pats.
Hopkins Tore Ligaments In Shoulder
- DeAndre Hopkins was clearly banged up at times last season, but the severity wasn’t clear. Speaking to the media on Saturday, the Texans receiver made it clear just how hurt he was, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “It’s the most banged up I’ve ever been playing football. I was dealing with serious injuries a lot of people would have sat down for,” Hopkins said. “I tore ligaments in my shoulder completely off the bone,” during the team’s playoff loss to the Colts, he revealed. “I tried to play even though I had only one arm.” Hopkins is a true warrior, and he’s only missed one game since entering the league in 2013. McClain writes that the Texans’ best player “has been rehabbing during the offseason program and expects to be ready for training camp.” What Hopkins is describing is pretty significant, so hopefully it doesn’t effect him moving forward.
Texans To Interview Ray Farmer For GM Job
The Texans started their latest GM search quickly. Less than 24 hours after Brian Gaine‘s firing, the Texans are interviewing former Browns GM Ray Farmer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This meeting is indeed occurring Saturday, per Fox 26’s Mark Berman (on Twitter).
This is the first known GM interview Farmer has received since the Browns fired him after the 2015 season. He spent two years running Cleveland’s front office, and like most modern Browns proceedings, it was a messy tenure. But the Fritz Pollard Alliance named Farmer one of its GM candidates entering the 2018 offseason.
Farmer, 44, spent one season as Cleveland’s assistant GM before Jimmy Haslam promoted him — after February 2014 ousters of the previous regime. The 2014 draft, which featured first-round picks of Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel (neither having played since the 2016 season), preceded a rocky two years. Farmer was not believed to be on board with either pick, with Haslam and Mike Pettine interceding. In 2015, the NFL suspended Farmer four games for texting coaches during games in 2014. This makes for an interesting start to Houston’s latest round of GM interviews.
A former NFL linebacker, Farmer spent seven seasons as Chiefs director of pro personnel before moving to Cleveland. He also worked as a Rams consultant since his Browns dismissal. While Farmer is the first known candidate, and one who was not connected to the Texans’ 2018 GM search, it is likely the franchise will soon involve executives who have been candidates for GM jobs in recent years in its interview process.
Fallout From Texans’ Brian Gaine Firing
While Brian Gaine had little chance to showcase his roster-building vision through the draft, the since-fired Texans GM was in charge of significant extension talks. A lack of development on the Jadeveon Clowney front may have factored into his firing. The 17-month GM made “zero” progress on a Clowney extension, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweets. Gaine also called the Chiefs about a Clowney deal before the draft, per Robinson, and continued calling teams after Clark was traded to Kansas City. Clowney has been extension-eligible since the start of 2017. After word of prospective 2018 talks emerged, not much transpired on that front last year. The 2014 No. 1 overall pick is attached to a $17.1MM franchise tag. Houston’s next GM will have to deal with this situation, along with likely another J.J. Watt contract. The five-time All-Pro’s $16.7MM-AAV deal now looks remarkably team-friendly, given where the market has ventured.
Here is the latest out of Houston:
- While this firing stunned the NFL-following world, it surprised many key Texans staffers as well. Some personnel people did not know this was on tap until moments before the organization released its statement, Robinson tweets. The Texans wrapped up their OTAs this week but still have their minicamp next week. That will almost certainly be conducted without a general manager. Of the GMs hired in advance of the 2018 season, Gaine was the only one whose team made the playoffs. Both Brian Gutekunst and Dave Gettleman oversaw sub-.500 seasons.
- Despite joining the Texans this offseason, Jack Easterby looks set to have influence on who the team’s next GM will be. The recently appointed executive vice president of team development (a position the Texans recently created) has become a key figure in Houston’s front office, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Hired after a six-year run as the Patriots’ character coach, Easterby has become a close confidant of Bill O’Brien‘s, per Breer. This seems pivotal considering O’Brien will now be coaching alongside a third GM. Easterby is also close friends with Patriots VP of player personnel Nick Caserio, per the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain. Caserio is back on the Texans’ radar.
- Another potential name to watch: Scott Pioli. The longtime Falcons exec and former Chiefs GM recently stepped down from his Atlanta post, but an NFL personnel man floated him as a prospective candidate to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Pioli, of course, ascended as a Patriots front office bastion. His and O’Brien’s New England stays overlapped by two years, from 2007-08.
Texans To Make Another Run At Patriots’ Nick Caserio?
A common figure in recent GM searches, Nick Caserio looks set to come up in another one. The Texans requested an interview with the longtime Patriots executive in 2018 and are expected to pursue him again, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Patriots denied the Texans permission to interview Caserio and college scouting director Monti Ossenfort last year. The Texans fired Brian Gaine on Friday afternoon and will begin a replacement search immediately.
Caserio and Bill O’Brien are close, and the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain tweets this is almost certainly an avenue the Texans will explore in their effort to replace Gaine. O’Brien, who is set to coach alongside a third GM in Houston, spent five seasons as a New England assistant.
Caserio and Josh McDaniels pulled out of the 49ers’ GM/HC searches two years ago and remain key Patriots decision-makers. Caserio has worked as the Patriots’ player personnel director since 2008, serving as a central figure in the Bill Belichick-run operation.
Texans Fire GM Brian Gaine
The Texans GM job is again vacant. The team announced Friday Brian Gaine will no longer serve in that capacity. Gaine began running Houston’s front office in January 2018.
Gaine signed a five-year contract with the Texans, so to see them move on at this juncture — and after the 2018 team compiled the second-most wins in franchise history — is stunning. Senior VP of football administration Chris Olsen will take over in the interim. The Texans went 11-5 and won the AFC South in 2018. They will now join the Jets in conducting a mid-offseason GM search, potentially set to meet with some of the same candidates.
Despite the short duration of Gaine’s tenure, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets no one incident is believed to have prompted this.
Prior to Gaine’s hiring, the Texans dealt with frequent friction in their front office. Reports of Rick Smith, who stepped away after the 2017 season to tend to his ailing wife, and Bill O’Brien butting heads emerged often. O’Brien signed a five-year deal when Gaine was hired and was believed to have a close relationship with him. O’Brien served on the search committee that produced the Gaine hire.
Prior to a 2017 stay in Buffalo as Bills player personnel director, Gaine spent three years with the Texans. Smith promoted from director of pro personnel to director of player personnel in 2015, but he left to take a job under Brandon Beane. Considering Smith received 12 years Texans GM — his first five seasons ending shy of the playoffs — this decision figures to have considerable fallout.
Gaine only oversaw two drafts as Houston’s top front office bastion, and thanks to Texans trades in 2017, the first did not involve first- or second-round picks. This year, Gaine used the Texans’ first-rounder on small-school tackle prospect Tytus Howard. This came after Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times in 2018 — the most any quarterback has been dropped in a season since Jon Kitna in 2006.
Last year, the Texans sought interviews with seven candidates but ended up meeting with just two — Gaine and assistant GM Jimmy Raye III. Among those on Houston’s 2018 list: Joe Douglas, who is currently the favorite to become the next Jets GM. The Eagles denied the Texans permission to speak with Douglas last year, and the Patriots exercised the same action regarding execs Nick Caserio and Monti Ossenfort.
Before Smith vacated this post last year, the Texans had not had a GM vacancy since the Charley Casserly-to-Smith changeover in 2006.
Texans Finalize Draft Class Deals
Another team has completed its rookie contracts. Third-round tight end Kahale Warring represented the final piece of that puzzle for the Texans.
Warring joins the other six Houston 2019 draftees, four of which coming from non-power-conference schools, at Texans OTAs. The Texans are set to convene for minicamp next week, when they will see three tight ends drafted in the past two years in action.
The 6-foot-5 target joins a thin Texans tight end corps, which also houses veteran Darren Fells and 2018 third- and sixth-round picks — Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas. The latter caught four touchdown passes as a rookie. Warring hails from San Diego State, where he played three seasons. He caught 51 passes for 637 yards and eight touchdowns with the Aztecs, almost all of his relevant work coming over the past two seasons.
Here is the Texans’ 2019 draft class:
- 1-23: Tytus Howard, T (Alabama State): Signed
- 2-54: Lonnie Johnson, CB (Kentucky): Signed
- 2-55: Max Scharping, T (Northern Illinois): Signed
- 3-86: Kahale Warring, TE (San Diego State): Signed
- 5-161: Charles Omenihu, DE (Texas): Signed
- 6-195: Xavier Crawford, CB (Central Michigan): Signed
- 7-220: Cullen Gillaspia, RB (Texas A&M): Signed
2019 General Manager Search Tracker
The Jets and Texans commenced mid-offseason GM firings, with Mike Maccagnan and Brian Gaine respectively displaced from their posts. We’ll keep track of all developments related to these vacancies in this post.
Listed below are the GM candidates that have been linked to the Jets and Texans, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:
Updated 6-16-19 (10:22 pm CT)
Houston Texans
- Nick Caserio, Patriots director of player personnel: No longer pursuing
- Ray Farmer, former Browns general manager: Interviewed
- Martin Mayhew, former Lions general manager: Interviewed
New York Jets
- Joe Douglas, VP of player personnel (Eagles) Hired
- Scott Fitterer, co-director of player personnel (Seahawks): To be interviewed on 5-30
- Terry Fontenot, director of pro scouting (Saints): To be interviewed on 6/1
- Champ Kelly, assistant director of player personnel (Bears): To be interviewed on 6/3
- George Paton, assistant GM (Vikings): Turned down interview 5/30
Keith Mumphery Attempting Comeback
Two years ago, the Texans released wide receiver Keith Mumphery upon learning that he was expelled from Michigan State for an alleged sexual misconduct violation. Now, after settling a federal lawsuit with the school, Mumphrey is looking for another NFL opportunity. 
“It’s all love for the Texans,” the 26-year-old told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I understand why they released me, it was bad PR for them at that time. They gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I understand the NFL is a business. I appreciate the opportunity they gave me. It’s something I always dreamed of as a little kid. I thank them for the opportunity. They saw something in me. I was the first person from my hometown to go to the NFL. Now, it’s about getting a second chance.”
Mumphery and his accuser had conflicting stories after their encounter in 2015. The woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by the wide receiver in her dorm room while she was drunk. Mumphery, meanwhile, maintains that the woman seduced him and that he stopped the encounter when she refused to have him use protection.
After the police investigation ended, the Michigan State Title IX office went on to clear Mumphery, but the woman appealed and Mumphery was not notified of the case being reopened. During the appeal, Mumphery was found responsible for violating the school’s policy on relationship violence and sexual misconduct. Mumphery fought back against the school with a lawsuit and recently received an undisclosed financial settlement.
Mumphery, a fifth-round pick in 2015, caught 24 passes for 198 yards in two seasons for the Texans prior to his release. He also contributed in the return game with averages of 7.8 yards per punt return and 24.1 yards per kickoff return as a rookie.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/19
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Floyd Allen
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE John Phillips
- Released: CB Dontae Johnson
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB Martrell Spaight